Singer Patti Page was laid to rest Wednesday, but her melodic voice was very much alive as it greeted family, friends and fans who gathered at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church to celebrate her life.

The Oklahoma-born singer, who died on Jan. 1 at age 85, had lived in North County – Rancho Santa Fe followed by Solana Beach and Encinitas – since 1971, and was still performing at age 83. In the end, Page, known for her gentle manner and big heart, died of heart failure.

Her popular renditions of sacred songs greeted mourners who joined in a singalong led by Larry Wilson, pianist at Faith Community Church, which Page attended in Encinitas.

The casket of Grammy Award-winning music legend Patti Page was carried into Solana Beach Presbyterian Church for a public memorial on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. — K.C. Alfred

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The casket of Grammy Award-winning music legend Patti Page was carried into Solana Beach Presbyterian Church for a public memorial on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.
— K.C. Alfred

Her two children, stepchildren, numerous grandchildren and her only surviving sibling, Peggy Layton, of Oklahoma City, were among those gathered. Jon Vezner, who produced three of her albums, came from Nashville, and Skip Press, co-writer of her memoir, “This is my Song,” was here from Los Angeles.

Page was born Clara Ann Fowler. At age 18, while performing regularly on a Tulsa radio program sponsored by the Page Milk Co., she was called “Patti Page.” The stage name stuck.

Her career was recounted Wednesday via snippets of her performances. Page was on “The Ed Sullivan Show” 17 times and even hosted it once. She appeared with Burt Lancaster in the movie, “Elmer Gantry,” performed with Bob Hope, jammed with Elvis Presley, had her own television show in the mid-1950s on three different networks, earned one of the original stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received five encores in Carnegie Hall after giving a concert there in 1997.

Her manager, Michael Glynn, says 111 of her songs made the Billboard charts, with 40 in the “Top 20.” Among her most popular were “All My Love,” “Allegheny Moon, “Doggy in the Window,” “Detour,” “Just in Time and “I Went to Your Wedding.” Ringing up about 10 million in sales, “Tennessee Waltz” became her signature hit, but “Old Cape Cod” remained her favorite.

Page loved to sing and adored her fans, recounted her son, Danny O’Curran.of Solana Beach. She refused to leave concerts, he said, until she gave an autograph to “every fan who wanted one.”

Despite her fame, however, family was paramount. She told Danny she wished she could have been a stay-at-home mom. However, he noted that his life was much richer because of experiences her career provided them. Her final words to him were, “I love you.”

In early December, Page was notified by phone that she’d been selected for a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award on Feb. 9. She was looking forward to accepting it in person. “It was the highest honor she could get,” said Glynn. She departed on a high note.